Microsoft’s Windows 8 launches in October and, like we mentioned before, AMD will be ready with Hondo CPUs. Considering that Hondo CPUs are still made in 40 nm manufacturing technology at TSMC, the company is reportedly preparing a 32 nm version to better counter Intel’s Clover Trail on power consumption.
As advanced as AMD’s
iGPU inside
Brazos 2.0 is, it is still manufactured in 2010 TSMC 40 nm technology. From the power consumption point of view, this makes it look like a dinosaur next to Intel’s smaller and more mature 32 nm manufacturing technology.
As most of you know, Intel’s top Atom offerings manifest much slower performance when compared with AMD’s Bobcat cores, and they are not manufactured in Intel’s latest and most modern 22 nm manufacturing technology.
Therefore, with Hondo, AMD might have the graphics performance superiority and also the computing performance power, but it’s most likely that they won’t stand a chance when power consumption is involved.
Most of AMD’s mobile and desktop Trinity-based processors are using GlobalFoundries’ 32 nm SOI manufacturing process.
It’s normal that the CPU designer still wants to manufacture at TSMC in 40 nm technology, as it needs greater volumes than what GlobalFoundries can offer, and lower manufacturing costs.
The price of 40 nm manufacturing technology is surely lower than 32 nm SOI, despite the fact that the latter allows more chips per wafer.
AMD is planning to start 28 nm bulk manufacturing at GlobalFoundries, so some of the 32 nm SOI capacities would be free.
It is likely that AMD will start making mobile and desktop Trinity CPUs in 28 nm, while the 32 nm lines will be filled with their new Jaguar-based Tamesh CPUs.
Tamesh will use the new Jaguar cores, as opposed to the current Bobcat cores inside Hondo, and it will sport lower power consumption, thanks to the move from 40 nm technology to 32 nm SOI tech.
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